Feeding mechanism



Sept. 11, 1934. D. J. HANNA FEEDI NG MECHANISM Filed July 31, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet l 31a/vento@ Sept. 11, 1934. D. J. HANNA y 1,973,625

FEEDING MECHANISM Filed July 3l, 1935 4 Shets-Sheet 2 Sept. l1, 1934. D. J. HANNA FEEDING' MECHANISM Filed July 31, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 La@ JHanna,

Sept. 1'1, `1934. D. J. HANNA FEEDING MECHANISM Filed July 51, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Sept. 11', 1934 UNITED ls'in'res rnEDiNG MEonANisM David J.

Hanna, Beacon, N'. Y., assigner to Dutchess Tool Company, Beacon, N. Y.. a co1'- porationqf New York Application .July 31, 1933, Serial No,V 6834055` This invention relates to .improvements in feeding devicesy and particularly' toa ,feed mechansxn designed especially for use in connection with dough handling apparatus oi the type wherein individual .lumps or increments of dough are to be treated. More specically, the inven-y tion relates to feed mechanism utilized in der positing lumps of dough in a dough proofing ap: paratus afterthe dough has received the usual treatment ina roundingeup machine,

The primary object of the invention is to proc vide a feed mechanism Withwhich the lumps of dough, as they are successively transferred from the -rounding-up machiney are deposited in a continuously traveling container- Another object is to provide a feed mecha: mism-.by which the lumps of dough successively transferred .to it from the rounding-up machine are deposited in a continuously .traveling con= tainer, the container being adapted to receive a plurality of lumps deposited therein in spaced relation to one anotherl With these and other objects in view, the inf vention consists in certain details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, all as Will-be hereinafter more fullyV described and the novel features thereof particularly pointed out inthe appended claims,

linthe accompanying drawings@ 1 is an end elevational View o one end oi the dough proofing apparatus with the present feed mechanism ,associated therewith;

l, Fie, 2 is an end elevation indicated by the line 2-2, Fie, .1, a portion of the main france ci the proofer-being shown in section;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line 3T3, Fig.. 2; i

Fieiis a horizontal sectional view on the line 4me/Fis,- .3:v

Fis. 5 is a top plan view illustrating two of the continuously traveling conveyors of the propier and the chutes of the ieedniechanism Afor depositing the lumps of dough in the containers- Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view on the line 66 of Figc, illustrating the. deecting mein,- bers by which successive lumps ci .dough delivered to the vfeed mechanism are directed or di verted to the respective discharge chutes;

Fis. '7 is a perspective view of two of the dee flectors or directing members; and

Fie. s is a vertical sectional view of the transf fer` drum by which lumps of dough coming from theroundingnup machine are deposited the housing of the feed mechanism in Vproper timed sequence.

As shown in Fie-i, the proolins apparatus comprises a main .frame F inwhich is supported a series of endlessY chainof continuously rnovf ins receptacles or containers 10. The construction ci the proofer proper and method by Which the dough is prooied therein need het he described in detail inthe present instance, as it is fully disclosed and claimed ,in application, Serial No'. 660` ,95.fig -led March 15, 193.3 by the presentapplicant and. the cc-inventorwlohii M. Van Houten.

The present .feed mechanism,v while adaptable for use in other .forms of apparatus, although csf pecially' designed for the handling 0f dough, .is installed er associated with the receiving end, so to speak, of the prooier, the lumps of dough being depositedy by the iced mechanism .in the containers orrecepta'cles 1u at thev endof the proofer illustrated in .Fia l, and discharged from said containers at the opposite end (not shown In the specific form of the invention illus--V trated, the lumps oi dough are i'ed down a chute .1,1, successive lumps oi dough being .received in pockets ,12,preferably arranged diametrically opposite in the. periphery of a iced drum 13 mounted on a shaft 14. Shaft le ,is driven by ydrive chain 1 5 from a suitable source of power, not shown. es the drum 13 is irritatedl successive lumps of dough fall from the pockets 12 and are thus delivered lat regular intervals to the yfeed mechanism which deposits a certain number of successive lumps in one of the con' tainers 10 as' it progresses `along its normal line oi movement- This kfeed mechanism preferably comprises .a casting .19 which there are a p1u= ,r'ality of chutes Whose .discharge ends are positipped over the containers-V lhe several chutes are indicated at 43, fifi, and 46, arranged With their respective discharge .openings one .in ad= vance of the othery alone the` line or path of movement oi containers 10- 'lhat is, the dis,-` cliarge ends of the four chutes shownfin the present instance are spaced from one another both longitudinally and laterally of the normal line ofY mcvement of the containers. As the luinps of dough fall from thev pockets in drum 13 they are delivered by mechanism in such fashion that the rst of a lseries of four lumps will .be delivered to chute 43, the next to .chute 4.4, the next to chute 45 andthe last to chute 46, so that the four successive lumps of dough will 81.11 be .deposited in the same container 1Q. In other words, the speed of rotation of 113 isfso timed with respect to the rate of movement of the containers 10, and the disposition of the lumps of dough are discharged from drum 13.`

The several guide plates are adapted to be rocked or ipped by a mechanism which consists of a cam member 51 mountedy onA shaft 14 of the delivery drum and which is engaged at diametrically opposite points by rollers 52 on a rocking lever 53 pivoted ati54min a bushing 55 surrounding shaft 14. The lower end of rocking lever 53 is attached by a link 56 to an arm V57 mounted on the shaft 58, which vcarries guide plate 47. Mounted in a'biacket` 59fis a stub shaft driven by sprocket chain'l from lthe shaft 14 of the delivery drum.' Mounted on stub shaft 6G' is a cam 62 which is engaged by cam roller 63 carried by areciprocatory link 64 slidably mounted by pin and slot connections 65 on the arm 66 of the bracket V59,V and by the pin and slot connectionvformed by the shaft 60 passing through' the slot 67 in said link. At its lower end,`the reciprocatory link 64 is attached by connecting link 68to `one arm of a bell crank leV`er69 mounted on theshaft 70 of guide plate 48. The other end of` said bell cranklever is attached by a connecting linky 71 to an arm 72 mounted on'A the shaft 73 of the guide plate 49. The 'contours of the cam surfaces 51 and 62 are such that, by the use of the two cam rollers 52, the guide `plate47will be rocked twice for each timethe guide plates'48, 49 are rocked, and the connections' between shafts 70 and 73 are such that the guide plates 48, 49 will be rocked. in unison, the two plates being held in vertical po.- sition, as shown in Fig. 6', at the same time and being rocked toward the `base of Aguide plate. 47 together, as shown in dotted lines in Fig.'2. More specifically, the cycle of operations` of the several plates is as follows: Withthe plates in the positions in which they are shown in Fig. 2, the rst lump of dough discharged from the delivery ldrum 13 will be diverted by plates 47, 48, into thev chute 43.` At the time the next lump of dough is discharged from the delivery drum, plate 47 will have been moved to the Vposition shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6 and the plates 48, 49, will be moved to the positions in which they are shown in that figure, under which circumstances, the second lump of dough will be diverted by plate 47 into chute 44. By the time the third lump of dough is discharged from the delivery drum, plate 47 will be rocked back to its'original position, or the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 and in full lines in Fig. 6, but the plates 48, 49 will remain in the positions shown in Fig. 6, vunder which conditions, the third lump of dough will be diverted by plate 47 into chute 45. By the time the fourth of the series of lumps of dough is dischargedfrom the delivery drum, plate 47 will have again been returned to the position shown in dotted vlines in Fig. 6, and the plates 48, 49 restored to the position shown in dotted lines in'lig.` 2, so that rthe saidv fourth lump of dough will roll along plates 47 and 49 into the delivery chute 46.4 By the time the next lump .of dough, or the first lump of dough for the second series is delivered by drum 13, plate 47 will have been returned to its starting position as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 and during this movementof said plate, the plates 48, 49 will have remained stationary, whereupon the next cycle of operations will have been initiated and the said idfthv lump of dough diverted todelivery chute v43.l With this arrangement it will be seen that with the proper timing of the drum 13 and container 10, each set'of four lumps of dough will be fed into the same -container' l0, because, although the containei'is constantly moving, the discharge ends of the several vchutes are positioned one in ad- Vance of the other, along the path of the traveling container. If i desired, the several guide plates 47, 48, 49, may be formed with transverselly extending plate-like portions 74, which will assist in steadying the several guide plates in their various positions.

What I claim'is:'-

l. The combination with a continuously moving container, a housing having`v a series of chutes therein for feedinga plurality of indi'- vidual bodies directly into said container while it is moving along its line of travel, the-discharge end of each chute being spaced from each 4of the others longitudinally of the line of travel of the container and means for directing successive bodies of 'material to the respective chutes.

2. The combination of a'continuously moving series of containers,V a pluralityof chutes, the discharge end of each chute being spaced from each of the others longitudinally and'V transversely of the line ,of movement of the containers, and means for delivering successive lumps of dough to the several chutes in rotation at regular intervals of time and at a rate dependent upon the speed at which the-continuously moving containersare propelled along their line of movement, the 'lumps' of dough being deposited from said chutes into Isaid containers whileY the latter are in motionf 3. In a dough handling apparatus, the combination of a constantly traveling elongated container, a hopper, a plurality of `feeding chutes, the discharge opening of each chute being spaced from thel others longitudinally ofthe traveling container, and means for directing lumps of dough from said hopper to successive chutes in` predetermined order the lumps Vof dough 'being deposited from said chutes into said container While the latter is in motion.

4. In a dough handling apparatus, the combination of a constantly moving container, a hopper, a plurality of feeding chutes'eachV chute having its discharge end arranged in spaced relation with respect to the others longitudinally of the path in which said container vmoves and means for vdirecting a group of individual lumps 'of dough from said hopper to said chutes, the rst lump of each group beingy directed in the rearmost chute and each successive lump being 'directed to the next advanced chute.

5. In a dough handling apparatus, the combination ofa constantly traveling container, two pairs of feed chutes', the discharge ends of said chutes being arranged one in advance of the other with respect to the path of travel of said container, and mechanism for depositing lumps of doughin said chutes comprising means for directing one set of alternate lumps of dough to one pair ofi chutes and the other set of alternate lumps to the other pair of chutes, and

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means for directing the lumps of one set of lumps alternately to the chutes of one pair and the lumps of the other set alternately to the other pair of chutes, the several lumps being deposited in the chutes in the order in which the discharge ends of said chutes are progressively arranged with respect to the moving container.

6. In a dough handling apparatus, the combination of a constantly traveling container, a series of feeding chutes having their ends arranged one in advance of the other with respect to the direction of movement of the container, means for directing successive lumps of dough to the individual chutes in the order in which the discharge ends of the chutes are arranged progressively of the movement of the container, and means for delivering lumps of dough to said directing means in predetermined timed relation dependent upon the rate of speed at which the container is moving.

7 In a dough handling apparatus, the combination of a constantly traveling container, a series of feeding chutes having their discharge ends arranged one in advance of the other relatively to the direction of movement of the container, and means for depositing lumps of dough in the several chutes in the order in which the ends of said chutes are progressively arranged relatively to the traveling container and in predetermined timed relation dependent upon the rate. of speed at which the container is moving.

DAVID J. HANNA. 

